NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM ACT LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTS September, 1999 This index of documents include the hearings, committee reports, bills, and other related documents related to the National Trails System Act of 1968 (P. L. 90-543) and its subsequent amendments up through P. L. 105-333 (Nov., 1996). The documents are listed in order by public law number. Sources in [ ]s have not yet been explored. (There may be additional sources as yet not found.) Documents are grouped to show the evolution from bill introduction to passage into law. Contents page Legislative Documents 2 Index by Trail Established Trails 24 Other Trails 26 Abbreviations BOR = Bureau of Outdoor Recreation (existed 1965-1978) CBO = Congressional Budget Office Cong. Rec. = Congressional Record DOI = U.S. Department of the Interior H.R. = United States House of Representatives (used for bill numbers) NHT = National historic trail NRT = National recreation trail NST = National scenic trail NTSA = National Trails System Act OMB = Office of Management and Budget P.L. = Public Law S. = United States Senate (used for bill numbers) USDA = United States Department of Agriculture This listing wascompiled by Steve Elkinton, Program Leader for National Trails System Programming, NCRC, National Park Service, Washington, D.C., Dec. 1997 to February, 1999, with the help of interns Holly Buchanan, Kyra Whitson, Cassandra Mines, and Mayra Vazquez-Irizarry. Please send additional items or corrections to Steve at NPS, 1849 C St., NW, m.s. 3622, Wash., DC, 20240 or via email at [email protected]. 1 LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTS [1966 -- Sen Gaylord Nelson introduced first Appalachian Trail Bill, S 3171, followed by HR 14222.] P.L. 90-543: National Trails System Act of 1968 2/3/67: S. 827 To establish a nationwide system of trails, and for other purposes. This bill called for the Pacific Crest Trail, the Potomac Heritage Trail, and the northern sector of the Continental Divide Trail to be designated as a NST. It also proposed the study of 11 trails. 3/6-7/67: Hearing Report No. 4, 90th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1967). Hearing Report, House Subcommittee on National Parks and Recreation: 28 statements and 52 letters, plus 12 other exhibits. 3/15-16/67:Hearings on S. 827 Before the Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs: 22 statements and 45 other communications (185 pp.). Includes eloquent support by Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) and strong testimony by Interior Secretary Udall. Interesting discussions on trail uses and eminent domain. 6/13/68: Senate Rpt. No.1233, 90th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1968), 16 p.. Refines S. 827 -- specific Senate amendments that prohibit condemnation where more than 60% trail on Federal lands, encourages easements, establishes only north ½ of Continental Divide NST, also establishes Appalachian NST, Pacific Crest NST, and Potomac Heritage NST, studies 11 additional trails. Land acquisition funds limited to $10m over 5 years. Interior letter estimates land acquisition for 4 trails at $10 million, combined annual operations $1.2 million. 7/3/68: House Rpt. No. 1631, 90th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1968), 24 p.. Based largely on DOI/BOR Trails for Tomorrow (Sept. 1966), combines 11 earlier House bills into HR 4865, provides rationale for major sections of Act, especially trail uses (motor vehicles prohibited on NSTs), land acquisition, and estimated costs. 7/15/68: 114 Cong. Rec. 21426-39, House consideration on HR 4865 introduced by Roy Taylor (D-NC), supported by Wayne Aspinall (D-CO), Chair, House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Questions and comments from floor on landowner liability, types of trail uses, funding, eminent domain, historic routes, a statement by Rep.Mathias (D-MD) on the Potomac Heritage Trail concept. Led to immediate roll call vote 378 Y, 18 N. 9/12/68: H. R. Rep. No. 1891 urged Senate to pull back from proposed amendments. Carefully crafted rationale given on pp. 10-12. Both the House and the Senate versions of the bill prohibited the use of motorized vehicles by the general public on NST. The conference committee proposed regulations to govern the use of motorized vehicles on or across the NST under specified conditions. Horseback riding is not prohibited, as a general rule. 9/18/68: 114 Cong. Rec. 27316-21, Presentation of Conference Report to House. House asked Senate to conform to House language -- emphasis on urban trails, establishes Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail as NSTs, curbs on condemnation, and regulations on trail use to be issued by secretaries. 9/19/68: 114 Cong. Rec. 27575-6, Conference report presentation to Senate by Sen. Henry Jackson (D-WA) who supported conference committee changes. 10/2/68: P.L. 90-543 establishes Appalachian and Pacific Crest as the first national scenic trails, also requests feasibility studies for 14 additional trails. Outlines basic Federal administrative functions. 2 P.L. 94-527: An Act to Amend the National Trails System Act ... 5/19/75: Senate Rpt. No. 144, 94th Cong., 1st Sess. (1975), recommends passage of S. 1123, to provide for addition of an Indian Nations Trail in Oklahoma to the trails to be studied for possible inclusion in the national scenic trails system. 6/19/75: Hearings before the Subcom on Parks and Recreation on S.324 (the Potomac Heritage Trail Act of 1975), S. 805 (Dominguez-Escalante Trail), S. 1390 (The Pacific Northwest Trail), S. 1486 (similar to S. 324, but adding a requirement for immediate campsite construction funding availability), and S. 327 (In title 1 amending the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, and in title II creating a National Historic Preservation Fund). 7/11/75: S. 2112 To authorize the Secretary of Interior to conduct a study with respect to the feasibility of establishing the Bartram Trail as a national scenic trail. Introduced by Sens. Chiles ( D-FL) and Allen (D-AL ). 10/16/75: Senate Rpt. No. 429, 94th Cong., 1st Sess. (1975), recommends passage of S. 805, to provide for the study of the Dominguez-Escalante Trail in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona for possible designation as a National Trail under the NTSA . S. 805 is related to S. 1390 and S. 1486. 10/16/75: Senate Rpt. No. 430, 94th Cong., 1st Sess. (1975), recommends passage of S. 1390, to authorize a feasibility study for designating the Pacific Northwest Trail in Washington State, Idaho, and Montana as a National Trail under the NTSA. S. 1390 is related to S. 805 and S. 1486. 8/2/76: Hearings before the Subcom on Parks and Recreation, to consider the following bills authorizing Interior Dept. feasibility studies to designate certain trails as national scenic trails: S. 2112 for the Bartram Trail; S. 2486 for the Florida Trail; S. 2783 for the Daniel Boone Trail; S. 3273 for the Nee-Me-Poo Trail; S. 3528 for the Desert Trail. Also considers: S. 3287 to amend the NTSA to establish national historic trails as a new category within the national trails system and to designate the Iditarod Trail, in Alaska, as a national historic trail; and H.Con. Res. 225, to establish the Washington-Rochambeau Historic Route through nine states. The administration of the two existing NSTs was a subject of much interest. Several witnessess pointed out that although the NPS is designated as the administering agency for the trail, the only staff support given this project for several years was the assignment of a coordinator on collateral duty.The Committee was pleased to learn that a full-time project manager was to be assigned to the Trail. 8/10/76: Senate Rpt. No. 1142, 94th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1976), 4 p. recommends passage of S. 2486, to provide for a joint USDA-Interior Dept. feasibility study for the Florida Trail for possible designation as a NST. 8/10/76: Senate Rpt. No. 1143, 94th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1976), 48 p. authorizes feasibility study for William Bartram Trail. 8/10/76: Senate Rpt. No. 1144, 94th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1976), 4 p. authorizes feasibility study of the Daniel Boone Trail. 8/10/76: Senate Rpt. No. 1149, 94th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1976), 4 p. authorizes feasibility study of the Desert Trail. 8/24/76: 122 Cong. Rec. 27437, S2112 considered and passed in Senate. 3 9/24/76: House Rpt. No. 1683, 94th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1976), 20 p. combined 8 prior bills into HR 94-15122 to study 8 new trail routes to be studied as potential scenic trails. Reports on earlier oversight hearings on Appalachian NST and Pacific Crest NST and the slow completion of earlier requested feasibility studies. Commit- tee Chair James A. Haley (D-FL), adds Florida Trail to list of trails to be studied. He noted “The mild climate along the trail route would afford its users with excellent winter hiking opportunities”. The committee anticipated that the cost of each study would amount to approximately $100,000. No specific amounts are authorized by H.R. 15122. It includes USDOI and USDA reports on the various separate measures which were the basis for this omnibus measure (p. 6-16). 9/27/76: 122 Cong. Rec. 32637-8. Rep. Roy Taylor (D-NC) moved to consider H.R. 15122, an omnibus bill to provide that 8 additional trail routes be studied by Departments of the Interior and Agriculture. Rep. Sebelius (R- KS) spoke in support of the bill, S. 2112 was folded into H.R. 15122, the bill passed the House. 10/1/76: 122 Cong. Rec. 34424, Senate concurred in House amendments. 10/17/76: P.L. 94-527 requests feasibility studies for 8 additional trails: Bartram, Dominguez-Escalante, Florida, Indian Nations, Nez Perce, Pacific Northwest, Desert, and Daniel Boone.